Whisky blender retires from Famous Grouse

John Ramsay (left) is passing on the whisky glass to Gordon Motion (right)

By Cara Sulieman

THE NOSE behind one of Scotland’s most iconic brands is being retired.

Master Blender John Ramsay has announced that he will be leaving Famous Grouse at the end of the month after almost 20 years with the company.

And he has spent two and a half years training up the successor to his position, Gordon Motion.

For the last 18 years John has been dedicated to his profession – and has forgone aftershave and garlic in pursuit of the perfect nose for the job.

The Great Whisky Debate: To mix or not to mix

By ALEXANDER LAWRIE

TWO of Scotland’s greatest drinks experts are to go head-to-head tonight (Thurs) in a showdown to discover whether whisky should be mixed.

Widely considered as the world’s best whisky blender, Richard Paterson will be pulling no punches in his battle against Colin Field, head barman at the Ritz Paris and arguably the planet’s best cocktail mixer.

Purists such as Paterson, master blender at the Isle of Jura distillery, believe Scotland’s national drink should not even be drunk with ice, but cocktail king Field advocates using mixers to add a “splash of imagination” to the whisky experience.

Representing polar opposites in the argument over how good Scots malt should be enjoyed, the two men are primed and ready for what looks set to become an historic battle.